I have to admit it, Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen is one of the most beautiful resorts I’ve ever stayed at, and that’s saying a lot given the allinclusives I’ve booked over the years.  The Mayan word “moxche” basically translates into “roots of the tree”; wherever you go on-site you will notice the use of woods and other natural elements which help create a more relaxed, Zen-like atmosphere–guests feel like they are a part of nature even though they have definitely booked a five-star luxury property

Secrets Moxche opened its doors in April 2022, while the upgraded Secrets Impression Moxche just opened Dec. 1, 2022.  If you look at the first picture at the beginning of this review, that tall building is the private Impression section with its own pools, several of its own restaurants and bars, and larger suites with more upgrades. Guests of Secrets Moxche cannot visit the Impression section, but Impression section guests have unlimited access to Secrets Moxche.  (I have read that the Impression section restaurant, Teodoro, will be open to Secrets Moxche guests for a hefty fee, but we will see if that pans out).

I stayed at this new adults-only resort in Oct. 2022.  I chose a non-upgraded entry level Jr. Suite Tropical View since the resort’s price point was so very high–three nights in an entry level room for two adults with a price of around $900 p/night was a bit steep.  During check-in I was asked if I wanted to upgrade my stay to Preferred Club for an additional $125 USD p/person p/night to which I politely declined.  (The Preferred Club could have gotten me a room with a balcony Jacuzzi plus access to the rooftop pool/restaurant/bar).  The regular check-in had multiple seated stations for guests, a very comfy seating area across the aisle, plus a small bar.  There was even a cookie plate if you wanted a quick bite.

My room was lovely but as a whole didn’t appear to be as large as the rooms I had seen on social media.  The bathroom, however, had more than enough allotted space with a very large rainfall shower, counter area with double sinks, toilet area, and more mirrors than I’ve ever seen in a bathroom.  The bathroom can be totally closed off to the bedroom area; there are two “exposure” points if you don’t want to entirely close it off–the sliding entry door and the “window” panel.

Rooms not upgraded to Preferred Club lack a balcony Jacuzzi; mine, however, did have a partial ocean view if you got right to the end of the balcony and looked to the left.

The mini-bar offered some bottled soda and beer–look for the provided opener by the cups above the mini-bar.

The employee who brought the bags and explained how to operate room controls forgot to inform us of the automated shade panel which all rooms have by their balcony entry.  I discovered the small square button with writing on which was behind the table lamp on Day 2 of the stay–push it and the shade panel will open and close giving you more or less light depending on your preference.  I didn’t have an issue with waking early because of excessive light in the room, but you may want to use it if you have an oceanfront room or are more sensitive to light.  There were some issues with the room (A/C not working and balcony door lock sticking), but they were fixed in a timely manner after reporting the problems.

Just be aware that if you book a non-upgraded room, you cannot visit the rooftop area.  Only some elevators have rooftop access, but you have to put in a separate card when in the elevator in order to get to that floor.  (I was thinking of trying to get away with a sneak visit since Secrets resorts don’t require identifying wristbands, but this resort has resolved that potential problem.  Darn it).  Also, be aware that some elevators have a separate elevator for staff; don’t be like me and push the wrong elevator button while you watch guests come and go while waiting for the staff elevator…if I had a smack the head emoji I’d use it here.

Even though the bell boy service wasn’t up to par, the rest of the stay was stellar in terms of staff friendliness, helpfulness, and service in general.  For example, I had no less than two servers for lunch at Bamboo Restaurant which, by the way, had a front row view of the Cove Pool; Eladio, my primary server, made sure I had exactly what I wanted for my meal.  This restaurant is a must dine–it’s open for lunch and dinner.

Other lunch options included the buffet restaurant (Market Cafe), the rooftop restaurant if you are a Preferred Club guest, room service of course (24-hrs.), and Barefoot Grill which was located close to the beachfront activity pool.  Don’t miss the pizza at Barefoot Grill, it was delicious!  In addition, there was a small food cart right across from Barefoot Grill on some days around lunchtime which served additional items such as fish tacos–very yummy as well.

Since I only stayed here for three nights, I had to be selective in choosing my evening dining options.  I had dinner at Bisou the French restaurant, another dinner at Ember the steakhouse, and my third night I chose to have a feast at the beach BBQ called Asado.  The beach BBQ occurred on Friday evening and was held at the beachfront restaurant Seasoul.  I did not have to sign up in advance for this event or pay extra, nor did I have to stick to the fancy dress code for dinner, I got into Seasoul with jean shorts.  Here’s a tip:  Get to the restaurant when the event starts (I think it started at 6 or 7 p.m., check your downloaded AMR Collection app for the time) so you can finish your BBQ dinner early.  Then grab a seat in the comfy lounging area right on the beach in front of the restaurant and wait for the fire show afterwards.  You will have a front row seat.

Dinner a la carte restaurants do not require reservations, it’s first come first served.  The only exceptions include the Wine Cellar at Allora for private dinners and the Teppanyaki show tables and sushi bar at Suki restaurant.  Be aware that occasionally there are food carts on the south end of the resort near the Dark Horse bar around 7-8 p.m. where you could get something tasty.  Coco Cafe can provide coffee, tea, milkshakes, smoothies, ice cream, and other snacks 24-hrs. a day.  You will not go hungry at this resort.

You also will never go thirsty.  There were nine bars including two swim-up bars, a great beach bar with swing seats, the rooftop bar for upgraded Preferred Club guests, a beautiful lobby bar, theater bar, even a bar cart set up in the pool area with the plexiglass end panels.  Don’t miss the Dark Horse bar, it’s very busy in the evenings and served as a sports bar plus a place for karaoke.  While it wasn’t open during my stay, Gypsy Nightclub with its own bar was located on the north end of the property by the Impression building and opened for business Dec. 1, 2022 along with the Impression section.

Now onto the pools.  I tried to “sample” all the pools, but with only three days at the resort it was impossible to do everything I wanted to accomplish.  While I took pics of the three cenote pools, I didn’t get a chance to swim in any so I don’t know if they were heated.  However, the larger resort pools were definitely heated.  And I would bet the swim-up pools are heated as well–Secrets Akumal swim-ups were heated, so I would imagine that another Secrets resorts trying to be even more upscale wouldn’t stop at just heating some of the pools.  But don’t take this as a guarantee that the swim-up room pools at this resort are heated since I didn’t stay in that room category.  Just saying.

Additional recollections about the pools include the following:

• The Cove Pool has a sand beach!  That means it’s super easy to enter and exit.  Also, the pool depth varies quite a bit–it ranges from ankle deep to over 10 feet in some areas.  Some of these depth changes are sudden so be careful.
• Unless you enjoy easy listening, folk-based live music, steel yourself for such at the beachfront activity pool in the afternoons.  Definitely not my taste in music in general, but not what I would expect at a pool area which is supposed to be the most fun and social at the resort.  Also, be prepared for a very sudden drop in depth when you step off your last step getting into this pool.  I had perfect strangers warning me about this when I first entered.  Also, you will have to really reach for your drink at the swim-up bar counter.  They obviously made the bar counter look super cool and it was quite wide and lengthy, but the bartenders cannot fully push your drink over and you may have to stand to get your drink.  Another piece of info–you may stub your toe since there is a type of island in the middle of the pool which you will have to climb steps to reach.  Quite frankly, while it looked quite beautiful, I did not enjoy spending time at this pool at all.
• Flotation mats were only provided at the beachfront activity pool.  I did not see other pools with guests who brought their own flotation devices.
• There are several heated Jacuzzis located mid-resort.  You have to hunt to find them; try looking for them where the pool plexiglass panel is facing east.  They are super hot!!! Probably best on chilly evenings (if staff even allow guests to use them then) or during winter season.

And now for the beach.  The sand was nicely groomed with extraneous seaweed removed.  There were many areas of various types of loungers including regular full loungers, what I call “nests” with two loungers enclosed, shade palapas, and hammocks.  Lots of local flora was left intact leaving this beach area with a more natural feel and some natural shade provided as well.  There were some non-motorized water sports equipment but no one was using them at the time I was at the beach.  Don’t expect the turquoise sea color present in Cancun’s Hotel Zone; when the sun is out at best the sea color will be blue-green, but that is certainly expected at many beaches in this area of Mexico.

Looking for entertainment?  Spend time at the Dark Horse sports bar–I think they have a DJ later on some evenings as well as karaoke opportunities, the Gypsy Nightclub is now open, there is live music at the beachfront pool in the afternoons, and the theater is excellent in terms of its show offerings and modern technical capabilities.  Don’t miss the Rock Show (I think it was on Thursday. evening)–the theater was over by the Bisou restaurant if I remember correctly.

I really enjoyed my time at Secrets Moxche even though it was only for three days.  I appreciated the overall peacefulness and beauty of the resort, the food was good, staff was friendly and helpful, and I wish I could have stayed longer.  However, was it worth the price I paid? After staying in many all-inclusive resorts in this area of Mexico over the years, I am well aware of the price point in Secrets Moxche’s luxury resort competition category.  For example, I just booked a River Suite for the height of spring break next March at Hotel Xcaret Arte for three adults for three nights–I will be spending the same total amount at a luxury allinclusive with an additional person plus the All-Fun Inclusive program at Arte meaning I can go to any of the local parks such as Xcaret and have my admission price covered…Needless to say, before I return to this resort (or stay at the Impression section) I would have to find one heck of a deal.  So, if you have money to burn and you think this resort exactly fits your vacation dream, go for it!

Take a moment or two and enjoy the photo gallery below–just click on any of the thumbnails to get a larger view of the picture.

The comments in this review are those of the author/reviewer.  This trip was paid for in its entirety by the author; at no time were any monies or services exchanged for this review.

Location:  40-min. south of the Cancun airport

Telephone:  52-984-122-4700

email:  info.sepdc@secretsresorts.com (general info)